The Bitters
by Rainstripe300
Summary: In the wake of a zombie apocalypse...a young girl named Raney find herself alone. With the death of her parents she tries to survive with a group of friends. But with winter approaching with the sparks of insanity get her first?
1. Chapter 1

Raney sat huddled in a corner of blood. Her amber brown eyes where drizzling with tears, and her body was trembling. She looked across the room and couldn't handle to see the dead corpse of her parents. She rested her head on her knees as the horrible memory overcame her.

_"Raney! Don't worry everything will be okay!" Her mother soothed her, as the bitters banged at the door. Her older brother Eren and her father had their back pressed up against the door. _

_"Susan! We can't hold them back much longer!" Her father's Voiced echoed across the small room. Susan grabbed Raney and Eren and held them tight. "Every thing will be okay...it will be okay." _

Thoose where the last words Raney ever heard her mother say, beside the screams. Her shooken eyes stared at the bloody knife shaking in her hand. Once the Bitters ate her parents she had to kill them. The only way to kill a Bitter was to destroy the brain. The knife slipped from her bloody hands, and it made a small sound as it hit to floor. "Raney?" Raney looked up to see her brother, Eren standing above her. His dark blue eyes where dull with grieve. "It's time to go."

He handed her a small bag, which was filled with food, water, and other supplies. Raney wiped her eyes and stood up. She half-heartily grabbed the bag, and slumped it over her shoulder. She pulled her hoodie over her head, and followed her brother out the door. Eren kept the pace, he swung his knife in his hand, and cautiously looked around. Raney stared at the ground, "W-What are we going to do know?" She stumbled.

Eren looked back at her, and pulled his black hood over his head. "Whatever we need too...it's just us in this fucked up world" Raney lowered her head. Her long pale brown hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her curls waved back and forward with each step. She was fourteen years old, while Eren was sixteen he had straight dirty blonde hair.

Raney shivered as a cold breeze shook the air. "We'll freeze if we can't find a shelter by winter" She reminded, and the two siblings walked down an abandoned street. Eren stiffened, and Raney glanced up. Two boys, about fifteen, were being surrounded by Bitters. Eren dashed forward and gave a battle cry. He slammed his knife into one of the Bitters head, and quickly kill another. Raney watched from a distance as her big brother massacred the monsters.

Soon the teenagers were in a small group. Raney stood close by Eren, as the two other boys glared at them. One of the boys had jet black hair, he held out a hand which was covered in blood. "Thanks for helping, I'm Logan" Eren narrowed his blue eyes.

He held out his hand and shook Logan's. "I'm Eren and this is Raney" He made a gesture toward Raney. She grabbed his hand and shook it. The other boy had wavy sand colored hair, he had tan skin and a few freckles across his nose. "Zach" He said, and pulled something behind his back.

Raney suddenly felt alarmed, "What the hell is that!" She spat, and aimed her knife at Zach. He panicked and showed a small pistol. Eren took a step back, but Logan leaned in. "It's okay, we aren't goin' to hurt you...we need more people with us. You know...safety in numbers"

Zach pulled the gun back, and placed his hands in his gray hoodie. "Thanks for saving us" He grumbled, and started to walked away. Logan gave the newcomers a warm smiled and gestured them to follow. Raney picked up her pace to met up with Zach.

"I'm sorry for attacking you like that" She whispered. Zach didn't look up.

"It's okay...I'm sure you had your reasons"

Raney shivered, and kept walking. She suddenly felt something warm around her. She look at Zach to see him zipping up his backpack. _He gave me his jacket! _Raney was shocked, and her ears burned with embarrassment, "Thanks"

Zach began to walk fast, almost into a run. "Don't Mention it...Ever" Raney was hurt by his harsh words, but she saw Zach struggling to open a door. He peeked into a window and made a bird-like whistle sound. Logan bolted from behind her and slammed into the door, causing it to open. Two Bitters piled out from the locked house. Zach pulled out his gun.

"Wait!"

Raney spun around to see Eren running at the two boys with his knife. "Use the knife" In a split second Zach pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed the two Bitters.

Logan still lying on the floor, started to laugh. "Great call Ereneo" Eren narrowed his eyes. "Don't call me that" But Logan continued on in his laughter. He stood in the middle of the house with his hands on his hips. "Looks like we got ourself a doozie!" He laughed, and unzipped his red jacket. Zach pasted out on the couch of the house, and Logan sat in the kitchen eating a jar of peanut butter with a spoon.

Eren sighed, once he looked at Logan. Eren soon fell asleep in the master bedroom. While Logan was drooling in the peanut butter jar. Raney could help but laugh at the fact that Logan had fallen asleep on a table. Raney settled down to sleep in the living room with Zach.

But before she could fall asleep she heard something. Raney lied up to listen better. As the sound came more clearer she could tell is was...

Knocking.


	2. Chapter 2

Raney stared at the door, and the knocking became louder. She started to shake Zach. "Zach" She whispered, and shook the 15-year-old boy. In a few second Zach bolted awake with a gasp. "What?" He whispered back alarmed. Raney pointed toward the door, and knocking was getting louder. "The knocking, What is it?"

Zach raised an eyebrow, "Knocking? There's no knocking" Raney began to panic as the memories of her parents and the bitters flashed back. She curled herself into a ball as the banging became a earsplitting noise. "Make is stop!" She cried, and covered her ears. Zach looked around, unsure what to do. Raney was huddled on the floor crying. Zach sat down on the floor, and wrapped his arms around her. Zach heard footsteps, and looked up to see Logan.

He didn't look like his usual self. He looked dark and gloom, but Zach stood up and stared at his friend. "She's having a panic attack" Logan bluntly remarked, "Eren told me about his parents death, and she must be remembering what really happened" Zach shuffled.

"What really happened? She was there...Why is the acting like it's happening now?" Zach was puzzled by Logan's words. Logan rubbed his eyes, "The body has a way of numbing reality, she has to go through this, and there's nothing we can do...I bet a jar of peanut butter Eren is up in master bedroom crying." Logan said, with a small smile, and headed back toward the kitchen.

Zach stared at the trembling girl, she seemed to have calmed down. But her eyes we closed, and she was whispering things. Tears were still falling of her cheeks. Zach crouched down to hear what she was saying. "I-I-I'm-m S-s-Soo-r-r-yy M-om" She stuttered. Zach gently shook Raney. "Raney? He whispered. The brown-curly haired girl woke up, and wiped her eyes. "I-I was having a bad dream" She whispered softly.

The moonlight glowed through the windows, and Raney stared at Zach. The teenagers were sitting on the floor, Raney leaned forward and hugged Zach. Zach's face instantly burned with embarrassment. He wrapped his arms back around Raney. The sat there for a while, wrapped in each other's warmth. Zach gently tried to break up the hug, but Raney gripped harder to him. "Please..." She whispered, "Don't go..."

When morning came Raney was still shaken up. She sat huddled on the couch with a blanket protecting her body. She tried to not give Zach any eye contact. Logan was busy in the kitchen, making breakfast. While Eren was still upstairs alseep. Zach had gone to the bathroom to take a shower. Logan looked at Raney and gave a smirk. Raney stared at him, "What?"

Logan shrugged, "Nothing" He said, with a smile. Raney pulled the blanket off, and marched into the kitchen. She stood right next to Logan, and nudged him. "Tell me" She demanded. Logan sighed, "Fine! Last night, when you were having your emotion breakdown" Raney winced, as he said those words. "I saw Zach giving you a hug" Raney shrugged, "I know" She said.

Logan smiled, "No...When you were asleep, he gave you a hug. And After you too had your little cuddle session, he stayed op most of the night." Raney was confused, "What does that have to do with anything?" Logan smirked "He was making sure you were okay" Raney blushed, _Does Zach...like me?_

Raney sat back down on the couch, and stared at the ceiling. Eren soon woke up, but he seemed startled. Logan glanced at him, and frowned. "What' up?" Logan said. Eren stared at the door, "There's people outside" Logan's eyes widened. He looked at Raney, "Go get Zach"

Raney nodded, and rushed to the bathroom, "Zach!" She called, "You need to come out...There's people outside" The door instantly unlocked, and Zach stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist. His sandy-brown hair dripping with water.

"What's this about people outside?" He asked to the two boys in the kitchen. Raney followed Zach, and the four of them sat around a table.

"We should leave" Eren protested, and angrily glanced at Zach. Logan sat puzzled in his chair, deciding his plan. Zach shook his head. "These people might not be staying here, why leave a good house for no reason!" Eren sighed, "We can't take any risk!" Raney decided to stay out of this discussion.

Eren rubbed his forehead, "These are grown men...Grown fucking men. We are a bunch of chubby face children, who happened to miss the bullet, and survived this long in this damn world" He spat his words, the came out cold and slow, making everyone rethink their thoughts.

Logan sighed, "What difference does it make? We leave, they find us, we're dead. We stay, they find us, we're dead. We have to sto-" Logan froze halfway through his sentence. The room went cold silent, and a clinking noise came from the front door.

"They're here" Raney whispered, and everyone stood dead still. Logan silently motioned the rest of the group out the back door. Eren stayed at the back of the group, he held Raney's arm to make sure she made it out the door.

A weird gargling noise came from behind Raney. She slowly turn around to the Eren, his eyes filled with shock, and blood oozed from his mouth. The boy fell to the group to show a grown man holding a knife. "Run!" Logan yelled, and the three kids ran out the back door. Zach grabbed Raney's arm, and pulled her after him. "What about Eren!" She screamed, and tears rushed of her cheeks. "Eren!"

The grown men didn't seem to follow, and the sun was dangling on the edge of the horizon. The group huddled around a small campfire. Nobody dared to say anything. Raney stared into in fire, the heat burned her skin slightly.

Logan stood up, "Look, Raney-"

"Shut up!" Raney snapped

Logan's eyes flared, he grabbed Raney's arm, hard. "Look! Raney, we don't have time for your bull shit, right now! Eren's blood is on my hand, not yours!" Tear filled Logan's eyes. Raney stared at him. Logan rubbed his face, "If only we left...IF ONLY WE LEFT!" He cried.

Zach stood stunned, "Logan, calm down" Logan threw some of the supplies at Zach. "Eren died because of me!" He screamed, "He said we should left, but I refused...How could I be so stupid!" He fell to the ground.

Raney stared at Logan, "Logan calm down" Logan stared her, "Why?" He laughed, "So the monsters don't come?" He rolled on the floor, crying. Zach sighed, and started to look through Logan's backpack. He pulled out a empty beer bottle.

"Are you drunk?" Zach snapped at Logan, and violently pulled him to his feet. Logan stared at Zach, "Yeah! So?" Zach shook his head.

"Come on, big guy" He said calmly, and laid the eldest teen in his sleeping bag. "I'll take first watch"

Raney shook her head, "There's no point" She whispered, "I'm not getting any sleep, anyways"

Zach shrugged, and hesitated for a moment. He walked over to Raney and gave her a small hug. "Goodnight" He whispered.

Raney stood in front of the flames, her face flushed. "U-Uh Goodnight" Raney played with a knife in her hands, while the other boys slept.

She looked up into the night sky. "I'm so sorry Eren" She whispered, as a single tear fell from her face.


End file.
